Mechanical clutch.



E. C. REBDBR & A. KEMP.

MECHANICAL CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED ABIL 3, 1914,

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E.. c. RBBDBR ls. F. A. KEMP.

MECHANICAL CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1914.

Patented Jan.19,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

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I To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EDWIN Ri-IEDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, and FRED A. KEMP, a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at New York lcity, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful llmprovements in Mechanical Clutches, of which the following is a speciication.

@ur invention relates to new and useful improvements in mechanical clutches, and more particularly to clutches of the type which includes a double-faced member with clutch elements each engaging a face of said member, to couple said member and elements together.

The invention consists in the improvements to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed. We have 'fully and clearly illustrated our invention in the accompanying drawings to be taken :as a part of t ls specication, and wherein:` Y

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of a clutch embodyby spokes or webs.

.mg our invention, the same being taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 3. lFig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a clutch embodying our invention, portions being shown 1n elevation and other portions in longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the clutch shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with parts broken away and in section.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 1 designates a shaft of any dey sired construction which may beY either a driving shaft or la driven shaft according to whether power is to be derived therefrom or applied thereto. This shaft is provided with a cylindrical portion 2 preferably of greater diameter than the ymain body of the shaft and upon which is keyed the hub 3 of a substantially cylindrical coupling member 4, the latter being rovided at one edge with a circumferentlal radially-extending Hange 5 which serves a purpose Ato be presentlyset forth. The coupling member 4 is preferably connected to its hub 3 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten aan. is, man.

v Application filed April 8, 1914.. Serial No. 829,1?4.

provided with an. inwardly-extending radial circumferential Harige 8 which is adapted to have rigidly secured thereto a doublefac'ed clutch member. This clutch member may take a variety of forms specifically, but we prefer to construct the same in the form of an integral structure consisting of a, ring member 9 having an attaching flange 10 secured by clampingbolts 1'1 to the inner edge of said flange 8. 'lhe member 9 may be provided with a laterally-extending annular flange 12 to abut the inner edge of the flange 8 so asto brace and stiffen the connection between the memberv9 and said flange 8 and prevent lateral movement of the member 9. Cn its opposite side faces the member 9 vis provided with annular cone-faced friction channels 13 formed by circumferential concentric Hanges 14, 1d, and 15, 15, the inner faces of which are inclined inwardly toward the member 9 to form said conefaced channels.

Carried by and supported on the coupling hub d, and located respectively on opposite sides of the member 9, are oppositelyy acting clutch elements adapted to coperate with said cone-faced channels 13 to couple the member 9 to said memberl 4f. ln the preferred embodiment these oppositely operating clutch elements may be constructed as follows:

Slidably mounted on the outer cylindrical face-16 ofthe member d is a cylindrical sleeve 17 having at its outer end a radiallyextending 'circmnferential ange 18 which extends radially to a point opposite the double-faced channel 13 on one side of the member 9. Bolted, as at 19, or otherwise rigidly secured to the said ange 18, is an annular cone-faced friction ring 20 adapted to enter the space between the anges 14, 14:, and frictionally engage the inner faces of the latter. to connect the element 17 to the member 9. The sleeve 17 is keyed or otherwise secured to the member 4 so as to be slidable longitudinally of the latter, but fixed thereto to rotate therewith; for instance, by lugs17astraddling a projection 17 b on the member 4. v

Surrounding the cylindrical sleeve 17 and the cylindrical portion of the coupling member 4 is a second sleeve 21, which is keyed to said sleeve 17 to slide longitudinally thereof, but to rotate therewith and with said member 4, as will be presently set forth. At the opposite end of said sleeve 21 from that adjacent the flange 18, said sleeve 21 is provided with a radially-4 extending circumferential flange 22 projecting outwardly opposite the space `between the flanges 15, l5, and carrying on its inner face an annular cone-faced friction member 23 adapted to enter the channel 13a and to engage the inner faces of said flanges 15, 15, to frictionally connect said'sleeve 21 with-the member 9. The

friction elements 20 and 23 may be provided on their outer faces with suitable friction material 24 so as to provide for a strong frictional engagement between said friction rings and the flanges 14, 15.

. In order to reduce the amount of friction between the sleeves 17 and 21, and the'sleeve 17 and the face 16 to a minimum, we provide bearing ribs 17a between the said parts so as to provide for as small bearing area as is practicable, said ribs being formed on the inner faces of said sleeves. i

We will now describe a preferred form of means for operating the clutch sleeves 17 and 21 to move the elements 20 and 23 9: Rigidly connected with the outer faces l of the flanges 18, 22, and spaced equidis- .50 ings.

tant about said flanges, are pairs of bearing ears 25, 26, in which are mounted bearin pins 27 upon. which 'are fulcrumed the upper ends of operating levers 28, the latter being fulcrumed at points intermediate their ends upon studs 29 projecting laterally from sleeves 30 slidably mountedupon the ends of thrust members 31 arranged equidistant about the coupling member 4. These thrust members are preferably in the form of bolts and extend through openings formed by registering grooves 31 formed, respectively, in the inner face of the` sleeve 21 and the outer facel of the-sleeve 17 and extending lengthwise of said sleeves, and spaced apartl equidistant circumferentially lof said sleeves, said bolts4 being free -to have` play lengthwise in said guide open- The bolts 31 are provided at their ends' beyond said sleeves 30 .with heads 32 i constituting abutments, for a purpose which will be presently set forth. The sleeve 21 is keyed to the member 4 in any suitablemanner, preferably by lugs thereon -straddlfing -a projection on the member 4 in the same manner as described for the sleeve 17 At their ends opposite to those mounted upon the pins 27, the levers 28 are connected by pivot pins 33 with the outer ends of links '34, the inner ends of said links being pivotally connected, as at 35, to the opposite ends of rocking operating levers 36, said levers being fulcrumed, as at 37, between their` points of connection with Vsaid links, upon pins 37a having Vbearing in ears 38 extending inwardly from the inner surface Aof the rim of the member 4. The levers 36 are each connected at one end, as at 39, to one end of a connecting link 40, the opposite end of-which links are pivotally connected, as at 41, to a flange 42 on an operating sleeve `43, which is slidably mounted upon the shaft 1, and is preferably keyed thereto, as at 44. These levers 36 .toward each other torelieve the frictional engagement between the lelements 20, 23, and the member 9. yWhen. the levers 28 are spread, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pins` 33, levers 34, pins 35 and fulcrum 37 are dead centered whereby the frictional engagement is maintained.

The parts being as above described; and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein the elements are coupled to provide for a driving engage- -.1nent between the shaft 1 and the element 7,

the clutch is operated as follows to disengage or disconnect the members 1 and 7: The operator slides the operating sleeve 43 lengthwise of the shaft, in adirection away from the hub 3,'thereby breaking the dead center connection between the lever 36, links 34 and the 'levers 28, and permitting the lower or inner ends of the levers 28 to move inwardly, swinging the same4 on their fulcrums- 29, thereby moving the upper ends of said levers 28 outwardly and relieving the lfrictimal engagement between the friction i elements 20, 23, andthe flanges 14, 15, re-

spectively'. When it isdesired to c'ouple the parts, .the operator forces the sleeve 43 in a direction toward the hub 3, -which will serve to-operate the levers 36 to spread the lower ends of the levers 28, which will serve first to move the sleeves 30 positively against the heads 32 on the bolts v31 and, by reaction against said heads, A'cause the upper or outer ends of said levers 28 to move inwardly and force the elements 20 and 23 into engagement, with thejfriction flanges 14, 15 on the memher9.-

"fMeansis providedv for positively separating the members 20"'and 23 from the flanges 1 4 and 15, when the clutch parts are to be Maaate disconnected, so that, during the'rotation of either thedriving or driven member, the

, clutch faces Willv not run in engagement With each other and, for the further purpose of maintaining bothof the elements 20 and 23 in proper parallelism Witheach other and with the. friction faces of the danges 14, 15. We accomplish this result by providing each of the sliding sleeves 30, preferably, with thrust pins 45 adjustably threaded. into'the inner faces of said sleeves, 'as at 46, and held in proper adjusted relation to said sleeves by clamping nuts 47. These thrust pins 45 at one side of the clutch structure extend inwardly through-ginfde openings 49 in the ange 18, While the thrust pins on the opposite side of thelclutch structure extend inwardly through guide openings 50 vin the -1 Harige 5, the inner ends of the first-named pins taking a position opposite the innerY end of the sleeve 21, while those-of the secondnamed pins take a positionl opposite the inner end of the sleeve 17. |These pins are so arranged and adjusted that, when the operating levers 36 are manipulated torelieve the fri-ctional engagement between the elements 20 and 23 -`with the member 9, said pins 45 are moved into engagement with the sleeves 17, 21, and thereby positively move said-sleeves outward so that the clutch elements 20 and 23 are moved out of engagement with the member 9 throughout their entire circumference and at the same time are maintained in proper parallel relation to said member 9. It Wlll be understood that the pins 45, by virtue of their threaded connection With the sleeves 30, may be readily.

adjusted to accomplishv the purpose stated. When the levers 36 are moved to apply the friction, the pins 45 are moved outwardly v with the sleeves 30 so as not to'intertere with the movement -of the sleeves 1j and 21 in being moved to apply the rictlon.

v What We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. 1n a clutch, in combination, a double-v :taced member, oppositely disposed clutch elements adapted to engage the faces of said member, thrust members,.levers pivoted to said elements and fulcrumed on said thrust members, and operating means connected to said levers to swing thesame on their ful- C l, lll u 2.. lin a clutch, in combination, a doublefaced member, oppositely disposed clutch` member, thrust members having abutments on their opposite ends, sleeves slidably disposed on said .thrust membersjlevers pivoted to said elements and ulcrumed intermediate their ends on said sleeves, and operating means connected to said levers to swing the same on their ulcrums. y

4.'1n 'a clutch, in combination, a doubleface member, oppositely: disposed clutch elements adaptedtoengage the faces of said member, thrust members, `levers pivoted at one endto said elements and fulcrumed-i'ntermediate their ends on said thrust members, and operating means acting on the-,opposite ends of said levers from those pivoted to said elements, to swing said levers on their fulcrums.

5. lin a clutch, in combination, a doublefaced member, oppositely disposed clutch elements adapted to engage the faces of said member, thrust members, levers pivoted at one end to said elements and ulcrumed intermediate their ends on said thrust members, operatingmeans acting on the opposite ends ont said levers from those pivoted to said elements, to swing said'levers on their ulcrums, and thrust means operated by said levers for positively engaging said elements to disengage the same from said member.

6'. ln a clutch, in combination, a doublefaced member, o'pposite'ly disposed clutch elements adapted to engage the faces of said faced member, oppositely disposed clutch elements adapted to engage the taces of said member, thrust members, levers pivoted at ,one end to said elements and ulcrumed intermediate their ends on said thrust members, operating means acting on the opposite' ends of said levers from those 'pivoted to said elements, and thrust pins carried by said levers for positively engaging said elements to disengage the same from said member.

8. -n' a clutch, in combination, a double- @faced member, oppositely disposed clutch elements adapted lto engage the faces of said member, thrifst members, operating levers pivoted to 'said clutch elements lat one end and fulcrumed on said thrust members intermediate their ends, links connected to the opposite ends of said levers from their pivoted endsoperating levers pivoted to said links, andmeans for simultaneously operating said operating levers.

9.. lin a clutch, in combination, a doublevelement adaptedsto coperate with one of the facesof said clutch member, thrust members, fulcrum sleeves slidably mounted on said thrust members, operating levers pivoted'to saidclutch elements at one' end .and fulcrumed intermediate their ends on said sleeves, means for swinging said levers on their fulcrums and thrust pins carried-by said fulcrum-sleevesand adapted to engage the sleevescarryingA `the thrust elements to positively move the latter out of engagement with the clutch member. i

10. In a clutch, in combination, a doublefaced member, oppositely disposed clutch elements adapted to engage the faces of said member, 'thrust members, sleeves slidably mounted on the opposite ends of said' thrust members, levers pivoted to each of said elements and fulcrumed on said sleeves, operating means connected to said levers to swing the same on their fulcrums, and thrust devices carried by said sleeves and adapted to engagethe clutch elements to disengage the same from said clutch member.

11. In a clutch, in combination, a doublefaced member, oppositely disposed clutch elements adapted to engage the faces of said member, thrust members, sleeves slidably mounted on the opposite ends of said thrust members,'1evers pivoted to each of sa-id elements and fulcrumed on said sleeves, operating means connected to said levers to swing the same on their ulcrums, and thrust pms adjustably threaded in said sleeves and adapted to engage said clutch elements to disengage the same from said-member.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. n

EDWIN C. REEDER.- 'FRED A. KEMP.

Witnesses to signature of Edwin C. Reeder 2'. 

